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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

J. 0. GRANT. HAT FELTING MACHINE.

No. 363,329. Patented May 17, 1887.,

WITNE INVENTOR aw :4 55;,

N. PETERS. PhMo-Lilhugrapher, Wzslnngton. n. cy

3 (N0 Modem I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. 0. GRANT. HAT FELTING MAUHINE.

NO. 363,329. Patented May 17, 188 7.

WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

3 t 9 e h S Mn 6 6 h S 3 H N H T N AM R GN I T 0L IE JP T A H (No Model.)

No. 363,329. atented May 17, 1887.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYSQ NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES 0. GRANT, OF NEWBURG, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JARVIS C. BRUSH, OF SAME PLACE.

HAT-FELTING MACHINE.

SPECTPICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,329, dated May 17, 1887.

Application filed November 2, 1886. Serial No. 217,806. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES 0. GRANT, of Newburg, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Hat-Felting Machine, of which the folin which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an end elevation of my improved hat-felting machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite end of the same, parts being removed. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sizing-rollers. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal soctional elevation on the line a: m, Fig. 1.

The machineis mounted on the end frames, A A, connected bylongitudinal brace-rods A and between which is held the cylindrical drum B, the heads B B of which are formed integrally with the end frames, A A, as shown, or are attached thereto.

The drum B incloses the sizing-rollers O, as usual, and its rear head, 13*, is provided with the removable plate B by which to gain access to the interior of the drum. The tapered shrinking or sizing rollers O are arranged obliquely with respect to each other, and so as rollers G are formed for the middle part of their length with the longitudinal grooves C, so that as the unsized hat bodies are first re ceived between the revolving rollers they encounter only smooth work as best suited to or attached to the ends of swinging arms E E which are pivoted upon studs F F, attached to the forward and rear drum-heads, respectively, curved slots B being cut in said drumheads to permit the roller-bearings E E to swing therein toward and from the center of the roller passage-way.

The roller-bearings E a are also formed or provided with eye-lugs G G, which are connected by links H H with equidistant pins or pivots H H carried by the rotary rings I I, said rings being mounted to turn within oi reular flanges J J, formed on or attached to the end frames, A A. The pins or pivots H H also carry friction disks or wheels H, which run on the inner surface of the guide-flanges J J and render the turning of the rings I I easy.

For rotating the rings I I, and thus,through the pin or link connections,swinging the rollerbearings and the rollers toward and from the common center, I provide the rings with segmental gear-teeth I, with which engage pinions K, fixed upon alongitudinal shaft, K, suitably journaled in the end frames,AA, and

in a bracket-arm, K, projecting from the front end frame, A. The forward end of the shaft K carries a hand-whee1, K by which the shaft 0 may be turned and the rollers adjusted, as described.

In order that the rollers C may be continuallyrevolved,however theyare adjnsted,spurwheels L are fixed upon the ends of their for 5 ward gudgeons, O, and are in gear with spurwheels M, revolving upon the studs or short shafts F, forming the pivots of the swinging arms E Sprocket -wheels N are formed integrally with or attachedto the spur-wheels M, and revolve with the same on the studs or shafts F, an endless chain, N, being passed over the several sprocket-.wheelsN and over a sprocketwheel, 0, fixed upon the driving-shaft P.

The shaft 1? is journaled inbearings P,held adjustably in vertical guides on the upper ends of the end frames, A A, and a belt-pulley, Q, is carried by the driving-shaft, by which the same is rotated. With this arrangement of the driving-gearing the revolution of the sizing-rollers is undisturbed by their adjustment.

In operation the hat-bodies, soaked in hot water and wrapped in cloths, are passed into the passage-way between the revolving rollers, and are compressed and shrunken or sized by the convergence of the same, the water squeezed out during the treatment passing out of the drum through the discharge-spout Rin the bottom of the same. As the hat-bodies issue from the dischargechute D they are seized by the operator, folded anew in the usual manner, and thrust into the supply-chute of an adjoining similar machine. This operation is repeated a number of times, the sizingrollers of the machines being brought nearer together by the positive adjusting mechanism described as the operation progresses, until finally the hat-bodies are shrunken and fitted to the required degree. They are then removed and a fresh batch of goods introduced in the machine and treated in a like manner.

I have shown the sizing-rollers straight for convenience in illustration, although in practice they are usually slightly concaved lengthwise in accordancewith their relatively obliq ue position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hat-felting machine having its sizingrollers formed with longitudinal grooves for the middle part only of their length, their ends being smooth, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, with the end frames, A A, the, series of swinging arms E E pivoted at their outer ends to said frames and having bearings E E on their inner ends, rotary rings I 1, links connecting said rings and bearings, and means for moving the rings, of the rollers extending between the frames and having their journals projecting through the frames into the bearings E E, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the end frames, A A, having circular flanges J J on their outer faces, the rings I 1, revolving within said flanges and having anti-friction rollers H bearing on the inner faces of the flanges, the links i A, the drum 13, extending between said frames and having itsheads B 13* formed by theframes,

the head B" having a removable plate, B, the

feed-chute D in one head, and the dischargechute D in the opposite head, of the rollers within the,drum,having a space between them in line with the feed and discharge chutes, and having their journals projecting through said end frames, and the adjustable bearings supporting said j ournals, substantially as set forth.

JAMES 0. GRANT.

Witnesses:

CHAS. L. CHATTER/TON, EUGENE. A. BREWSTER, Jr. 

